The
high, imposing mountains were covered in a large forest of pines. A
flash of red, amongst the trunks. A boy, with a rucksack, slowly
making his way up one of the great pines. He was searching for
something. Something he knew should be there. His name was Theron,
and he was the bravest boy in the whole village. He had fought
tigers, eagles and bears. He had climbed the tallest tree and he was
now looking for the one answer he had never found. The one that meant
so much to him.

For all his life Theron had been telling himself stories, real or
imagined, it didn't matter. He lived in a world of fantasy,
daydreaming in class and fighting monsters at break. He didn't know
how to do anything else. Living with his mum, his dad having died
when he was little, he was often alone. He made up characters to keep
him company, to talk to. He went on imaginary adventures to far off
lands to escape the boring reality of life. His mother was often
drunk and he felt isolated from the normal pace of school, not being
able to read well did not help.

Theron was often left at home to make his own dinner; and sometime
for the weekend, whilst his mum went partying. He knew that he would
never have a normal life, resigned himself to that fact. No one like
him could ever expect to be clever at school, good at sport, liked by
everyone. He couldn't even have a pet. So he made up stories, never
out loud or written down, just in his head, ones no one could take
from him.

He had thought often of running away, and had done so plenty of times
in his stories, but as soon as he was ready to go, his mum would
invariably come back and he would forget. But this time was
different: his mum had been gone for a whole week. She had never been
gone that long before. He knew that this was going to be his only
opportunity. He had packed a bag, food, clothes, money, and took the
bus to London centre. He thought about where to go and decided that
Charring Cross sounded as good a place as any, so on the tube he
went.

The excitement of running away soon wore off and after missing the
station for Charring Cross, because of the crowds; Theron decided
that he wanted to go home. He wanted his mum. The train ground to a
halt, but there was no station in sight. The carriage suddenly shook
violently and everybody was thrown to the floor. The screaming was
terrible. Then the far end of the train exploded.

Theron woke up. He was, well he didn't actually know. He could hear
voices, but see no one. They were talking loudly, calling. He tried
to speak but the words would not come. A shaft of light shone into
his face, he could feel breath on his cheek and a person asking him
if it hurt too much. He floated into blackness once more.

The next time he opened his eyes everything was bright white, the
ceiling and floor, the walls and also his clothes. He thought he must
be in heaven and therefore dead. However, he noticed a window to his
side and that he was lying in a bed. A doctor walked through a door,
previously un-noticed, and seemed surprised that Theron was awake. He
had been asleep for several days and they had not know if he would
wake.

Apparently he had been very ill and the train explosion had added to
the list of injuries. The doctor started to explain that his mum was
waiting outside, but he would not be allowed home for some time. But
Theron was too tires to work out what he was implying and started to
imagine.

Theron stayed in a childrens' hospital for 6 months, slowly
regaining his health. Although his mum had never explained, he had
known he was different, but not that ha had dyslexia and that he was
not allowed to do sports because he had a heart condition. His mother
had not had the money, and was often too drunk, to take Theron to a
hospital where he could have been helped. It had almost been lucky
that he had been in the train when it exploded. The doctors had
sorted out his heart to keep him alive. The very act of running away
had saved his life and Theron found that he did not need to keep his
stories to himself any longer. He had had his own adventure and the
staff at the hospital helped him write it out. Theron had found some
answers, perhaps not the exact ones he wanted, but answers anyway.

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